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Lateral tubercle of talus

The lateral tubercle of the talus is a bony prominence forming part of the posterior process of the talus. It serves as an important anatomical landmark in the hindfoot and plays a role in defining the groove for the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon while contributing to posterior ankle stability.

It is particularly relevant in hindfoot anatomy, ankle trauma assessment, and cross-sectional imaging of the ankle.

Synonyms

  • Lateral tubercle of the posterior talar process

  • Stieda process (when prominent)

Location

  • Situated on the posterior aspect of the talus

  • Forms the lateral part of the posterior talar process

  • Lateral to the groove for the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon

  • Posterior to the talar body

  • Inferior to the posterior tibial plafond

Anatomical components

  • Osseous projection of the talus

  • Cortical shell with cancellous core

  • Adjacent groove:

    • Groove for the flexor hallucis longus tendon (medially)

  • Ligamentous attachments:

    • Posterior talofibular ligament attaches near the lateral tubercle

Relations

Anteriorly:

  • Posterior talar body

Posteriorly:

  • Posterior ankle capsule

Medially:

  • Groove for flexor hallucis longus tendon

  • Medial tubercle of posterior talar process

Laterally:

  • Posterior talofibular ligament

  • Fibula (in close proximity)

Superiorly:

  • Distal tibial plafond

Inferiorly:

  • Posterior subtalar joint surface

X-ray appearance

Plain radiographs (lateral and oblique ankle views):

  • Lateral tubercle: Seen as a bony projection at the posterior aspect of the talus

  • Contour: Smooth and well-defined

  • Best visualized on: Lateral ankle view

  • Variant: May appear elongated when forming a Stieda process

CT appearance

Non-contrast CT:

  • Lateral tubercle: Well-defined posterior bony prominence of the talus

  • Cortical margins: Smooth and sharply outlined

  • Trabecular pattern: Normal cancellous bone

  • Relationship: Clearly demonstrated relative to FHL groove and subtalar joint

  • Utility: Excellent for defining morphology and distinguishing from accessory ossicles

MRI appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Cortical bone: Low signal intensity

  • Marrow of the tubercle: High signal intensity

  • Anatomical contour: Clearly visualized against surrounding soft tissues

T2-weighted images:

  • Cortex: Low signal

  • Adjacent joint fluid: High signal outlining the posterior talus

  • FHL tendon: Low-signal structure coursing medial to the tubercle

STIR:

  • Fat suppression: Uniform suppression of marrow fat

  • Tubercle margins: Well delineated

  • Tendon sheath and joint recesses: Bright signal

Proton density fat-saturated (PD FS):

  • Bone marrow: Suppressed fat signal

  • Joint fluid: High signal

  • FHL tendon: Well visualized as a low-signal band adjacent to the tubercle

CT VRT 3D image

Lateral tubercle of talus 3d

MRI image

Lateral tubercle of talus mri anatomy labelled image-img-00000-00000